By Jethro Ibileke
A factional chairman of the Labour Party in Edo State, Mrs Elizabeth Ativie, has described the party’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi, as a dictator who is not fit to be entrusted with power.
Ativie, who leads the faction loyal to LP’s national chairman, Julius Abure, said this while addressing journalists in Benin.
She described Obi as lacking in competence, character, and capacity to actualise the vision of a new Nigeria, adding that it would be dangerous to entrust Nigeria into his care.
“The wind has blown, and Nigerians have seen the true dictatorial nature of a would-be President of Nigeria. Peter Obi, since then, has been jumping from one alliance to another, and it is becoming clearer that he has shot himself in the foot politically.”
“We want to state clearly that the problem in the Labour Party was created by Obi. It was he and Dr. Alex Otti, the Governor of Abia State, who convened the ill-fated and illegal expanded stakeholders meeting in Umuahia, on September 4, 2024, for the sole purpose of removing a legally constituted National Working Committee of the party through underhand means.
Continuing, Ativie said: “We want to advise Peter Obi to always inform and educate his followers properly to avoid pushing them into unnecessary problems.
“A leader who cannot advise or guide his followers properly can hardly be a good leader. It is even more dangerous to entrust the whole of Nigeria into such one’s care.”
The Edo LP chair further alleged that after achieving over 6 million votes in the 2023 election with the huge electoral capital working for him, instead of Obi concentrating on how to win more sympathy, structures, and followers, he resorted to fighting leaders of the party.
She added that after the party lost the presidential election, Obi should have called an enlarged meeting of his members, encouraged them, and strategized to build the party, but he started moving from one alliance to another.
She alleged that the problem that emanated from the party primary in Edo, Anambra, Plateau, and Borno states, amongst others, was one that Obi could not solve before the governorship election.
“For instance, the party leader met in Abuja, including Obi, and resolved that the party would choose its governorship candidate in the Edo election would come from Central as other parties and should be between Kenneth Imasuagbon and Sergus Ogu, but unfortunately Obi came to Edo and raised the hands of Bar. Olumede Akpata from South, to our surprise.”
According to her, party politics is about leadership, and the leader should be able to hold a meeting and solve issues arising from the primary by bringing members together to chart the way forward.
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